Kiefer Sutherland

Lead Actor - Drama

2001-02 shining moment: The season finale when Jack Bauer managed to prevent the assassination of a presidential candi-date, but couldn’t save his wife from being murdered.

Pro: Sutherland already has the Golden Globe for the role.

Con: Some credit the vehicle — a uniquely dramatized day in the life of a counterintelligence agent — as opposed to the lead actor.

Quotable: “The mounting stress that was really compelling in the show … added to the kind of tension that was really thrilling for an audience but also relatable: the effort to find a balance between (Jack’s) professional responsibility and his responsibilities as a father and a husband. The effort to maintain that balance is something that made people root for him.”

Critical viewpoint: “What he did well was get that feeling of desperation coupled with exhaustion, which I don’t think is easy. He didn’t play it over the top. It wasn’t the kind of role you could really call understated, but he didn’t play it too broadly or too big. I thought that was really effective.” Bill Goodykoontz, the Arizona Republic